


Daft, the Two of Them

by Brigantine



Category: Gunless (2010)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-06
Updated: 2011-10-06
Packaged: 2017-10-24 09:10:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/261595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brigantine/pseuds/Brigantine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack the Blacksmith missed his shot.  Ben Cutler didn't.  Jane wants some answers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Daft, the Two of Them

Jane finds Ben Cutler at Brittle Creek, hunched into a ball at the muddy edge. Long, harsh sobs tear out of him, leaving him gasping for breath. His shoulders heave beneath his oversized coat.

Not what she had expected. Except... Jane lowers Sean's pistol and says, almost gently, "Hey."

Startled, the bounty hunter sprawls backward from his heels into the dirt. He wipes savagely at his face with the backs of his hands, shouting up at her, "You want to get yourself shot? Jesus!" It's a moot point, since Jack's got Cutler's gun back in town.

Jane observes that Ben Cutler is not as large a man as he manages to terrorize people into believing. "Would you really have hanged Mr. Kwon?"

Cutler staggers to his feet. "The Chinaman? No bounty on him." He eyes the weapon in Jane's fist. "You here to bring me in for murder?"

"Sean's asking for you," Jane tells him. "He's annoyingly persistent."

Cutler gapes, "He's not - I didn't? Oh God!" He tries to rush past Jane, but she grabs him hard by the sleeve of his duster, spinning him toward her.

"That's what all this is about - some bizarre lovers' tiff! Ten years wasted tearing at one another? How could you be so foolish?"

Cutler flinches, covers the sting with anger. "You don't know what you're talking about! Ain't you and him lovin' it up now, anyway?"

"No, that was... awkward," Jane admits, "but _enlightening,_ if you get my meaning."

Cutler rubs at his face, "Aw, Jesus."

Jane waggles the pistol at him. "This is your miraculous second chance with Sean, Mr. Cutler. Don't cock it up."

Cutler smiles, slow and thoughtful. "Sean's right. You are worth the bullet."

Jane snorts and turns toward town, muttering, "Americans pay the weirdest compliments."

 

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